The Moment in Between IV

The Moment of Recognition

Recognition rarely arrives all at once. It comes in small, precise increments. There might be a shift in someone’s expression, a pause that wasn’t there before, the subtle recalibration of how another person stands in your presence. It is the moment when the change you’ve been carrying privately becomes visible in the eyes of someone who knows you well enough to notice what others would miss.

This moment is not about being congratulated or understood. It is about being witnessed. There is a quiet power in that. After moving through uncertainty, crossing thresholds, and returning with something altered inside you, recognition is the first external confirmation that the transformation is real. Someone else sees it. Someone else feels the difference. And in that shared awareness, the change begins to take shape in the world beyond your own thoughts.

Recognition often happens in ordinary settings like a kitchen, a hallway, a familiar room where nothing dramatic is supposed to occur. Yet the air shifts. The person across from you studies your face a little longer, or their voice softens in a way that tells you they sense the weight you’re carrying. They may not know the story behind it, but they understand that something in you has settled, or broken open, or rearranged itself.

You’ve seen when someone looks at you with a tilt of the head in a gesture that says, “What?” right after you’ve set your mind to a task. That’s recognition. That’s a connection made.

moment - A woman and a man are standing in a dimly lit room, engaged in a serious conversation. The woman is wearing a light brown shirt, and the man is in a dark sweater. They look at each other with intense expressions.

There is vulnerability in being seen this way. You cannot hide behind old patterns or familiar roles. The person in front of you is responding to who you are now, not who you were before the crossing. And that acknowledgment, however subtle, creates a small but undeniable bridge between your inner world and the one you are stepping back into.

This connection invites deeper conversations, where silence feels comfortable and words flow effortlessly. In these moments, you may find yourself sharing fears or dreams that had long been tucked away. The act of revealing these pieces of your soul strengthens the bond, allowing both of you to explore uncharted territories of understanding. As trust builds, the potential for transformation expands, illuminating paths previously obscured by doubt and hesitation. Each encounter becomes a testament to the power of authentic connection and the beauty that unfolds when we truly see one another.

Recognition does not resolve anything. It does not offer answers or direction. What it offers is presence, the steadying knowledge that your transformation is not invisible, not imagined, not solitary. Someone else has noticed. Someone else has adjusted. And in that shared moment, the change becomes a little more real, a little more anchored, a little more yours to carry forward.

And who cares if it’s just your dog?

Dogs understand.

What’s the big deal with recognition?


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If you read any of the fiction I create here to the end, you will be able to download a free digital copy when It’s complete. If I get a referral from you, I’ll throw in the fiction – Burtt the Blade. You can let me know your progress via the comment box at the end of each post.


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